


Pest Control

by black_tea



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: M/M, voles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-13
Updated: 2014-07-13
Packaged: 2018-02-08 15:09:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1945815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/black_tea/pseuds/black_tea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Garak has an unwelcome guest in his shop.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pest Control

**Author's Note:**

> Something silly this time.

Garak carefully looked up from the swatch of fabric he was inspecting, moving as little and as slowly as he possibly could. His eyes searched for a telltale flash of movement, his ears straining for a sound that wasn’t supposed to be there. Though, at the moment he felt he could do better with Julian’s more acute Human ears than his own.

_I know you’re here. Come out come out you revolting little…_ He had nearly given up and gone back to the task at hand when a fabric sample hanging down near floor level rippled in a nonexistent breeze. Garak’s eyes narrowed.

“I have you now.” He muttered to himself and leapt forward in hope of trapping the creature in the corner between himself, the wall, and a crate of supplies. Quickly crouching down he made a grab for the ugly mostly hairless body, but found himself too slow. He swore as he watched his quarry dart out of his reach.

“Garak? Are you alright?” a familiar voice hailed him. Footsteps came closer as he fought to extricate himself from the fabric samples and an unfortunately placed rack of clothing.

“Oh, just fine. I’ve had a lovely morning.” He replied, sitting up. “Not only do I have a lot of work that needs to be done, but it seems that I have a small six legged visitor.” Julian offered him a hand and helped him up. “I would really like to know what a vole is doing in my shop…” he continued to huff in frustration.

“I thought they managed to get rid of them.” Julian sighed, peering around.

“Apparently they missed one. You take that side of the room, and I’ll take this side.” the Cardassian suggested. After spending much of the morning playing hide and seek with a rodent, he was beginning feel more than a little vengeful. The two men stalked quietly around the shop in hopes of catching a glimpse of the animal. Nothing.

“Could it have slipped into the walls?” Julian finally inquired.

“Not in here.” Came the clipped reply.

“What’s that?” Julian exclaimed. “I think I saw it over there.” He darted over to the far corner, nearly tripping in the process, while Garak moved in to cut off possible escape. The Human looked around wildly for a moment before noticing and grabbing a box that he unceremoniously upended dumping thread and buttons everywhere.

“Julian!” Garak protested. “What are you doing?”

“Sorry, I need something to--” he launched forward and attempted to slam the box down over the large frantically escaping rodent. For one shining moment Garak thought his annoying little problem was solved, trapped neatly in a box. But no, Julian’s foot came down on one of the spools of thread that had been scattered, and he slipped and fell in a tangle of limbs, managing to pull two bolts of fabric down on top of himself in the process.

“Ugh! I almost had it!” He complained as he attempted to rise.

“That’s what happens when you throw things on the floor.” Garak primly replied and then more sympathetically, “Are you alright, my dear?”

Julian flashed him a dark look and hauled himself to his feet. “Fine. The only thing bruised is my pride and possibly my tailbone. Did you see which way it went?”

Garak gave the Human’s abused backside a brief conciliatory rub. “I believe it scurried off in that direction.” He pointed back to where their chase had begun. “But it could be anywhere by now.”

“Julian! There you are. I’ve been looking--” Kira stepped into the shop and stopped dead, her gaze taking in the mess. “What happened here?”

“A vole.” Julian supplied as he stealthily made his way to a likely hiding spot.

“A vole did this?” the Bajoran sounded mystified.

“No, of course not. That would be ridiculous.” Garak sniffed. “Julian chasing the vole did this.”

Kira attempted to smother the beginnings of a laugh in a small cough. “Voles again. Just what this station needs. Tell me, is there anything from Cardassia that isn’t a pest?”

Garak moved away to continue the search. “All planets have their vermin.” He replied leaving Kira to decide exactly how she wished to interpret the comment. Seemingly despite herself, the Major began peering behind clothing racks and fabric along with the two men.

“I haven’t heard of anyone else having vole problems. I wonder how one ended up in here.” She said, crouching down.

“Ah! There it is! Major, shoo it down this way.” Garak exclaimed as the animal went skittering along the wall. Kira quickly made a dive, blocking its escape, and it veered off back towards Garak who was grimly wielding Julian’s box. “Got you!” He slammed the container down with much more accuracy than his lover had managed. He could feel the vole clawing uselessly at the sides.

He carefully tipped one end up and quickly grabbed the struggling animal. “You my friend, have been nothing but trouble – oh, and what’s this?” Garak turned the vole to display a number six painted on it’s back.

An annoyed expression settled over Kira’s face. “Vole fights, again – I could knock Quark into next week. I’ll have to let Odo know what’s going on.”

Julian made a face. “Well, it looks like one of his contestants decided to take a little tour of the station.”

After being forced to chase a vole around his shop, which was now in complete disarray, Garak found himself in a less than charitable mood. He hauled himself to his feet still clutching his prey and headed for the door.

“Where are you going?” Julian asked.

“To have a word with Quark. Hand me that box if you please.”Julian did as he was asked, and Garak stuffed the obnoxious creature back into the box. 

While Quark’s wasn’t at it’s peak business hours, a decent crowd milled around the bar and dabo table. _Good. The more people the better._ He smoothed away the predatory smile that had begun to creep across his face. He walked up to the bar. “Rom, is your brother here? I need to have a word with him.”

“Yes, just a moment.” Rom shuffled to the back of the bar. “Brother, Garak is here looking for you.”

“And what can I get for you?” Quark asked walking over. He looked less than thrilled to be disturbed.

“In this instance, it’s what I can do for you. You see, I seem to have come across something of yours that ended up in my shop by mistake.”

“Oh?” Quark inquired. Garak could practically see the thoughts flash across the Ferengi’s ugly face as he puzzled over what it could be and of how much value.

With one of his more good-natured smiles, Garak opened the box and upended the contents on top of the bar. Several customers jumped back, one woman emitting a high-pitched squeal of alarm.

“Garak! What are you doing!” Quark demanded, horrified as the animal dove off the top of the bar in hopes of seeking shelter somewhere behind it. “Rom! Quick, get that vole!”

“I’m just returning what is yours. The number on it’s back _was_ a tip off, you know. They don’t come like that naturally.” His voice was light and friendly as he inwardly took great satisfaction in watching Quark and Rom try to corner the creature. When Rom managed to knock over a bottle of liquor, his smile widened. “I would love to stay and chat, but I must get back to my shop now. Have fun with your little…pet.”

He ignored Quark’s angry shouts as he walked out of the bar. It looked like the morning wasn’t a total loss after all.

 

 

 

 


End file.
